1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to an automatic vending machine, and more particularly to a change storing apparatus and method for an automatic vending machine which enables a user to store an amount of change as credit so that the user can conveniently purchase goods by using the change stored in the vending machine thereafter as credit against future purchases.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, automatic vending machines have been widely used around the world. The automatic vending machines contain various goods therein such as coffee, cigarette, cake, and candy in a goods safekeeping chamber and determine what kind of goods can be vended by the amount or sum of coins inserted by a user.
In these automatic vending machines, when coins are inserted into the automatic vending machine and a selecting button to a predetermined goods is pushed, the goods is extracted from a goods extract part of the automatic vending machine.
As shown in FIG. 1, a goods selecting apparatus of a conventional automatic vending machine includes a coin detecting mechanism 1 for providing a detected signal according to the value of inserted coins and the amount of the coins to be inserted in the automatic vending machine, a goods selecting part 2 for selecting a predetermined article among goods stored or provided therein, a control part 3 for generating a control signal to display a selling possibility state of goods befitting the inserted coins and the amount of the coins according to the detected signal from the coin detecting mechanism 1 and to extract the goods selected from the goods selecting part 2, a display part 4 for displaying the total inserted amount of money and a selling possibility state of the automatic vending machine according to a display control signal from the control part 3, and a goods extracting part 5 for extracting a selected goods according to a extracting control signal output from the control part 3.
Now, goods selecting and operating process of the conventional automatic vending machine will be explained hereinafter.
When coins are inserted through a coin inserting slot (not shown), condition of the coins or the bill and the amount of coins or bill are detected by a plurality of sensors(not shown) of the coin detecting mechanism 1 and a signal detected therefrom is provided to the control part 3. The control part 3 generates a control signal for displaying the total inserted amount of the coins according to the detected signal from the coin detecting mechanism 1. The display part 4 displays a selling possibility state according to the control signal from the control part 3 in case the total inserted amount of coins exceeds the price of the goods stored in the automatic vending machine.
After the selling possibility state of the goods shown in the display part 4 has confirmed, a selecting button is pushed by the user to cause the selected goods to be extracted from the automatic vending machine.
A button signal corresponding to the goods selected from goods selecting part 2 is provided to the control part 3. At this time, the control signal for extracting the selected goods is generated from the control part 3.
Accordingly, the user can obtain a predetermined article among the goods stored in the automatic vending machine any time, according to the control signal output from the control part 3.
In the control part 3, the coins inserted into the coin detecting mechanism 1 and selling price of goods are compared as to whether they are matched and if change is available, a control signal is generated to return the change. That is, the change is delivered to a coin deliver part(not shown) by a return signal generated from the control part 3. Thus, the user receives the change from the vending machine.
When the user intends to purchase goods by using the change thereafter, the user inserts the coins in the vending machine and selects the goods thereby being capable of obtaining the desired article.
However, there is a problem in the above automatic vending machine in that, when the user frequently uses the vending machine, change must be inserted in the vending machine every time by the user, thereby causing the user inconvenience of inserting the coins again.